Page 65 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
Once they were gone, Theodore released Kate and put space between them.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his eyebrows knitted together.
She blew out a breath and then inhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. “They said you drove their daughter to her death and that I ought to leave before the same thing happens to me.”
He sighed and raked his hand down his face. “I should have expected this.”
“Why would you?” she asked, stunned.
“They blame me for losing Elizabeth, and they’ve reason to. Usually, they’re sensible enough not to personally confront me. They must hate me even more than I thought to approach you within days of your arrival. They certainly wasted no time, and it was bold of them to come to the Hall.”
His voice was rough with emotion. And Kate had the strangest urge to embrace him. His relationship with the Normans shouldn’t be like this. They’d all lost someone theyloved. They should have been able to mourn together, but instead, he’d been denied the opportunity to grieve with those closest to her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, knowing the words weren’t nearly enough.
The furrow between his eyebrows deepened. “Why? It isn’t your fault.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t be sorry for you.”
He exhaled and rubbed at his chest. “You’re right. I suppose I owe you a proper explanation.”
She hesitated. Yes, she would like a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth’s death, but based on the sheen in Theodore’s eyes and the tense way he held himself, telling her the story would bring him no relief.
She made a swift decision. “You don’t have to do or say anything you aren’t ready to. Our marriage is still new. I don’t mind waiting until you’re more comfortable with me before we share confidences.”
He shook his head. “It’s best if we get it over with now.”
Kate turned to Margaret. “You may leave us alone.”
Margaret bobbed a curtsey and scurried out.
Theodore jammed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his toes, then stilled himself. “Have you heard of how my father passed away?”
“There was a storm….” She’d heard more but wasn’t sure how much of it was factually correct, so she trailed off.
“Indeed.” He stared out the window, and she wondered if he was looking toward the spot where his father had died. “His favorite horse got loose, and he went in search of her. Unfortunately, the wind was ferocious, and he was blown off a cliff. I was the one who found him, but he was long gone.”
Her heart squeezed. She couldn’t imagine how horrible it would be to discover her mother’s body. She shuddered even to think about it.“I’m sorry. That must have been awful.”
“It was.” He didn’t turn to her. She wasn’t sure he was even fully aware of her anymore. “Elizabeth hadn’t been in a rush to have children, as we were still young, but once he was gone, we needed an heir. I… I didn’t put pressure on her, but my mother did. Hell, all the goddamn world seemed to think they had the right to share their opinion on the matter.”
“They often do,” Kate commiserated.
“I’d have happily fought anyone who dared to make an untoward comment in my presence, but the problem was that they did it behind my back. Elizabeth had grown close to my father, and she was grieving. Add to that the pressure to conceive, and she became more and more miserable every time we learned she wasn’t with child.”
“Did you tell her there was no hurry?” Kate asked, curious despite knowing she ought to just let him tell the story as he thought best.
“Over and over again.” He closed his eyes, his fists clenched at his sides. “Three times, she lost a baby.”
Tears stung Kate’s eyes, and she didn’t try to stop them. For what they’d been through, Elizabeth and Theodore deserved her emotion.
“She grew melancholy. Sometimes days would pass without her leaving her chamber. Occasionally, she’d get false hope, and everything would seem brighter, but then it would vanish, and she’d be even more desolate than before.”
His jaw clenched, and when he opened his eyes, his eyelashes clumped together with unshed tears. “That last day… the day she… the day it happened, I caught her trying to sneak out to visit the doctor. She confessed that she was nauseated and her courses were a little late. She thought she might be with child,but she’d wanted to confirm that on her own before speaking to me.” His shoulders slumped. “She didn’t want to disappoint me.”
Kate’s insides churned and she was almost afraid to ask, “What happened?”
He looked at her, his dark eyes swimming. “The weather was turning. I asked her to wait, but she said she couldn’t bear the not knowing. She begged me to drive her there. Just me, so no one other than us and the doctor would know her shame if she was wrong.”
